[M.D. Holloway]

I once taught a course (which I invented and wrote the syllabus and text for) at a community college while in grad school - Biogenisis. I tee'd it up to the director that it would bring in students and sure enough it did -all sorts from 18 to 80. Made me really do a bunch of research into the topic. Few observations that are not so mainstream but I think make sense:
1) Life has to be defined - something that moves autonomously, something that has a metabolism (internal engine that produces circulation, respiration, reactions to stimulus, change to accommodate environment, be complex).
2) Life most likely did not begin in the water - pretty tough carry out a polymerization in an aqueous media - easier in a semi-solid state e.g. mud (the Ni and Cu might also act as a great catalyst). Actually there are indications that high levels of bacteria exist underground to a larger extent than on the surface.
3) Electro-magnetic radiation in young Earth was far different than what the atmosphere leaks in now. It took that energy for certain reactions and compounds to occur.
4) Liquid Crystal are the secrets to osmosis as well as organization.